Distributed Acceleration Devices Management for Streams Processing

1. A method for managing distributed computer data stream acceleration devices comprising: identifying available nodes and available acceleration devices configurable in a plurality of distinct functions, each function performing a different task, the available nodes and configurable acceleration devices disposed in a computing system comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of configurable acceleration devices disposed on one or more of the nodes; identifying a plurality of virtual acceleration device definitions, each virtual acceleration device definition comprising attributes comprising an acceleration device function from the plurality of distinct functions and acceleration device hardware requirements and a compiled program and external configuration data that when loaded into an acceleration device having the hardware requirements configures that acceleration device to realize the acceleration device function; receiving an inquiry comprising an identification of computing system resources to be used in processing the inquiry; identifying at least one virtual acceleration device definition having a suitable acceleration device function and capable of configuring an acceleration device in accordance with the computing system resources identified by the inquiry; configuring at least one of the plurality of identified acceleration devices having the acceleration device hardware requirements in accordance with each identified virtual acceleration device definition; and using each configured acceleration device to process the inquiry.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dynamically detecting acceleration devices and dynamically routing computing system stream data to and from each identified acceleration device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises scheduling and dispatching at least one inquiry process element to process the inquiry, each inquiry process element utilizing at least one of the acceleration devices, and the step of using each configured acceleration device comprises using each configured acceleration device by one of the process elements.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of configuring the at least one discovered acceleration device comprises: identifying a program corresponding to the scheduled process element during runtime; and loading the identified program into the acceleration device coincidental with dispatching the corresponding process element.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of dynamically routing corresponding data further comprises: configuring the acceleration device to receive packets across a network originating from one or more nodes within the computing system; and configuring the acceleration device to produce packets across the network destined to one or more of the nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceleration devices comprise a field programmable gate array, an application specific integrated circuit, a complex programmable logic device or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified computing system resources comprise data stream acceleration devices required to process the inquiry and preferred data stream acceleration devices to be used in processing the inquiry.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises identifying at least one policy to govern the use of acceleration devices within the computing system and the steps of scheduling process elements utilizing acceleration devices and configuring the acceleration devices are performed in accordance with the identified policy.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of identifying the policy further comprises using at least one of a computing system user, administrator and system analytics to identify the policy.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of scheduling and dispatching processing elements further comprises: identifying a first set of process elements; dispatching the first set of process elements to nodes utilizing acceleration devices; and identifying a second set of process elements separate from the first set, wherein the process elements in the second set are not dispatched to nodes due to a lack of available acceleration devices.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of scheduling and dispatching process elements further comprises: identifying a revised first set of process elements comprises process elements utilizing one or more virtual acceleration device definitions that differ from the virtual acceleration device definitions utilized with the previous first set of process elements; identifying a revised second set of process elements; and reconfiguring one or more acceleration devices in accordance with the different virtual acceleration device definitions associated with the revised first set of process elements.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of scheduling and dispatching process elements further comprises: utilizing administrator policy specifications and user rules to rank processing elements; and placing each process element that utilizes the acceleration devices into either the first set of process elements or the second set of process elements in accordance with the rank.

13. A computer-readable storage device containing a computer-readable code that when read by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for managing distributed computer data stream acceleration devices comprising: identifying available nodes and available acceleration devices configurable in a plurality of distinct functions, each function performing a different task, the available nodes and configurable acceleration devices disposed in a computing system comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of configurable acceleration devices disposed on one or more of the nodes; identifying a plurality of virtual acceleration device definitions, each virtual acceleration device definition comprising attributes comprising an acceleration device function from the plurality of distinct functions and acceleration device hardware requirements and a compiled program and external configuration data that when loaded into an acceleration device having the hardware requirements configures that acceleration device to realize the acceleration device function; receiving an inquiry comprising an identification of computing system resources to be used in processing the inquiry; identifying at least one virtual acceleration device definition having a suitable acceleration device function and capable of configuring an acceleration device in accordance with the computing system resources identified by the inquiry; configuring at least one of the plurality of identified acceleration devices having the acceleration device hardware requirements in accordance with each identified virtual acceleration device definition; and using each configured acceleration device to process the inquiry.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises scheduling and dispatching at least one inquiry process element to process the inquiry, each inquiry process element utilizing at least one of the acceleration devices, and the step of using each configured acceleration device comprises using each configured acceleration device by one of the process elements.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein the step of configuring the at least one discovered acceleration device comprises: identifying a program corresponding to the scheduled process element during runtime; and loading the identified program into the acceleration device coincidental with dispatching the corresponding process element.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the acceleration devices comprise a field programmable gate array, an application specific integrated circuit, a complex programmable logic device or combinations thereof.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises identifying at least one policy to govern the use of acceleration devices within the computing system and the steps of scheduling process elements utilizing acceleration devices and configuring the acceleration devices are performed in accordance with the identified policy.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein the step of scheduling and dispatching processing elements further comprises: identifying a first set of process elements; dispatching the first set of process elements to nodes utilizing acceleration devices; and identifying a second set of process elements separate from the first set, wherein the process elements in the second set are not dispatched to nodes due to a lack of available acceleration devices.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 , wherein the step of scheduling and dispatching process elements further comprises: identifying a revised first set of process elements comprises process elements utilizing one or more virtual acceleration device definitions that differ from the virtual acceleration device definitions utilized with the previous first set of process elements; identifying a revised second set of process elements; and reconfiguring one or more acceleration devices in accordance with the different virtual acceleration device definitions associated with the revised first set of process elements.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 , wherein the step of scheduling and dispatching process elements further comprises: utilizing administrator policy specifications and user rules to rank processing elements; and placing each process element that utilizes the acceleration devices into either the first set of process elements or the second set of process elements in accordance with the rank.